These 2-stroke engines only have 6:1 compression, so technically you only need 87 octane; But I've found that my bikes run a little better (barely noticable) with the good stuff. Maybe it's the other chemicals they put in the good stuff??

Venice is right about only needing 87 due to low compression and if he notices a difference with the higher octane due to other chemicals then why not go for it. I say this because with the minimal amount of gas these things use we are talking pennies right?

These 2-stroke engines only have 6:1 compression, so technically you only need 87 octane; But I've found that my bikes run a little better (barely noticable) with the good stuff. Maybe it's the other chemicals they put in the good stuff??

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The higher the octane rating...the hotter it burns....these little air cooled motors run hot anyway....I'd go with 87....my nickels worth.......

or, try them all and see if you can tell which one works best for you. if you can't notice a difference, stick with whatever's cheapest. if you do notice one seems to work better, stick with that, even if it's just your imagination.

it's not like you're going to hurt anything, i mean, not really. it's not a car, it's an oil burning dinosaur designed to run on 1950's gas and motor oil.

I used to run high octane in my old VW bus because I thought it was better for it, then one day quite by accident I put 87 octane poo gas in it, and it ran a hundred times better. I am not saying these two strokes are superior german engineering like my bus, but I have subscribed to the cheap engine cheap gas theory.

Air cooled engines run better with a lower octane fuel. Even the old biplanes we used to fly in Arkansas(crop dusting) used only 87/88 octane. If your putting higher octane in you engine your wasting you time, no matter what anyone else says on this forum. Any airplane mechanic that works on air-cooled engines will tell you that. Some people think that just because you stick a CNS carb and an expansion chamber on your 2-stroke, that all of a sudden its a high performance engine, bull hockey. its still a minimal HP engine, its still has no fuel injector system to handle high octane fuel, therefore you've wasted your money putting a high octane fuel. Two Cents.

P.S. good oil makes for a cleaner engine, also use a little castor(1oz per gallon) and you'll be putting down the road a lot happier, put your money into a good synthetic oil, not gas.

or, try them all and see if you can tell which one works best for you. if you can't notice a difference, stick with whatever's cheapest. if you do notice one seems to work better, stick with that, even if it's just your imagination.

it's not like you're going to hurt anything, i mean, not really. it's not a car, it's an oil burning dinosaur designed to run on 1950's gas and motor oil.

and no, premium won't hurt during break in.

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Gosh.....this can't be stated any plainer than what "The Baird " just said....I've used 'em all......down here in Florida the lowest grade is 87....highest is 93.....not a dang bit of difference performance wise.....what you really need to pay attention to is the OIL you use.....synthetics....semi synthetics....natural......always use a high grade of oil....I've found that Pennzoil works the best in my bikes....but that's just me.....you have to remember these engines are true low tech....the Chinese have yet to offer us anything above that.....I'm just sayin'............................

Ethanol is really bad news for two strokes. The worst case is in outboards where they're in the moist marine air and the ethanol absorbs all the moisture in the air and it really makes two strokes run like crap and corrode, especially when stored for longer periods.

The main problem is that you never really know what gas has ethanol and what doesn't until you test for it. Most gas pumps say that they contain up to 10% ethanol, but that doesn't mean that it actually has any in it. Fortunately it's easy enough to test for with a test tube or a Tupperware and you can google how to do it.

These engines only need regular low octane to run well, however, if premium is guaranteed to be ethanol free, go for it. Don't assume that premium is ethanol free however unless it is specifically stated so.

I also would disagree with Tad Bit Tipsy about air cooled engines liking lower octane fuel. Many of the air cooled aircraft engines are low compression and do run better on 80/87 octane (not 87/88, that isn't an avgas rating) and there will be increased carbon deposits and plug fouling with the 100LL. There are, however, some higher compression aircraft engines or turbocharged engines (continental TSIO 520 for example) that do require the high octane. It's more about the compression and less about the cooling method.

i started out using normal 87 octane gas from the local cheap gas station chain here in town and using Honda H2 syn oil. it was ok and probably sufficient. however, i got a wild hair and started mixing half gallon 87 w half gallon 93 (premium) and h2; and my engine runs better and faster and probably hotter too; tho piston' cylinder and spark plug looks beautiful. no excess of carbon and its not too dry and messed up either. im a convert and not going back to straight 87 mix anymore, save for emergencies on long rides or the like.